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The  followini,r  paper  is  published  by  rcciucst  of  officials  of  ou 
local  Historical  Societies,  and  of  friends  interested  in  early  pionee 
history.  It  was  originally  read  before  historical  and  other  societie 
of  tlie  District  of  Jk-dford  durin--  the  past  year.  In  the  desire  t( 
obtain  brevity,  many  local  references  to  Missisqiioi  were  omitted  be- 
fore Shefford  audiences,  just  as  those  relalin^,^  to  Shefford  were 
omitted  before  Missisquoi  audiences.  An  effort  is  made  to  combine 
them  in  the  followin-^r  paper.  Many  thinn^s  deemed  necessary  to 
interest  the  different  audiences,  as  well  as  expressions  peculiar  to 
platform  delivery,  have  been  omitted.  But  the  substance  of  the 
paper,  and  the  historical  facts  and  comments  are  the  same  as  tie- 
livered.  This  statement  is  deemed  prudent  to  allay  the  zeal  of  the 
captious  local  critic.  The  real  object  of  the  pai)er  is  to  stimulate 
interest  in  the  laudable  designs  of  the  County  Historical  Societies  of 
the  District  of  Bedford. 


Co\\.\.\>\  iLI.i,,  Au-ust    K 


jxo.  i\  ^■o^•I•:s. 


)00. 


ITbc  Canadian  Xov^alists 


an^ 


Earl^  Settlers  in  the  iDistiict  of 

Bc(^for^. 


The  early  settle  iiunt  ..f  a  country,  the  hahits,  hanlshij.s  and  eN])erienees  ui  its 
pK'iic-ers,  have  a  ehann  lor  those  i;erliai;s  a  seleet  few-^uh.)  delight  in  the  i.ivesti- 
j^ation  ..I  a  snhject  whieh  exa.ts  a  certain  amount  of  researcli  in  order  to  attain  a 
fair  measure  of  acvuracy.  Tlu  re  is  a  eomniendable  ten.len.-v  ..f  late  to  regard  with 
favor  the  econ,;mic.  or  political  value  <.f  historv,  apart  tn.m'its  interest  as  a  narra 
tive  of  events,  which  shonhl  assist  and  stimulate  investiKati<.n.  There  are  obvious 
reasons  tor  this,  and  it  is  ,|uite  dear,  as  well,  that  surh  value  depends  not  onh 
U]u,n  the  truth  ot  the  narrative,   hut  upon    the    lair  appreciation  of  the   facts. 

The  fitful,  and,  .it  limes,  acrimonious  conlroversv  ofthe  past,  as  to  the  early  sc-lf 

lersot  the   District  of  He.llonl  respcrtiUK  h.yaltv.  has  obscured  rather  than  eu'li^ht- 

ened  the  subject.  Tlure  is  no  Lick  of  tnulitions  of  historical  rese.irchand  investi-a- 

lion  m  the  true  .sense-in  the  historical  sense,  tlure  has  been  pn.cticallv  none.     (  me 

result  IS.  that  the  zeal  of  uninformed    partisans   has   led    lo   the   l,i];el"linK   "s  T    F 

Lc.yalists,  many  uho    came   ;,fter  the  fever  of  lovallv    had    been   replace.l   bv   tlu 

iactorol  sc-lf-intcrest.  ami  even  of  tho.se  whose  arrival  was  lo.iK  subsequent   to  the 

necessities  of  loyal  expressicjn.     The  result  has  been  to  create  a  feelin.i,^  of  doubt  or 

skej,ticism,  astor.   I'..  I.cjyali.sts  akin  to  that  expresse.l   bv   the   irreve'rc  nt   i.il^rim 

"1  Koine.    "Ihese    new   .saints   make  one  doul,t   the  .,ld."      It   is   r.ot    therefore    a 

"latter  ol  surprise  that  the  unwarranted  as.sertions  of   such   ill-informe.l    a.lvocates 

have  caused  a  Kc-neraticn.  not  keenly  interested  in  the  r.  !■;.  I.ovali.sts,  to  surmise 

that  these  loyalists  are  an  historical  mystery,  and  as   utterlv  discredited,  so   far  as 

relates  to  location,  as  the  .lescendants  of  the  lost   tribes  of   Israel.     It  is   fortunate 

tor  those  of  another  turn  ..f  mind,  uho  .lesirc.  historical  accuracy,  that  the  zeal  and 


TIM'.  CANADIAN    I."  >VAI,ISTS. 


iiiiUistrv  of  (nir  Caii.nli.m  Arrlii\i>t  liavi".  within  tlu-  past  tVw  years,  j)rncurf»l  a 
i'<>ii^i(Kral>lc  i|uai'tit\  of  thr  <»tli«'ial  tiionls  ol  the  tarly  sitlliiiuiit  ot  the  rdiintry, 
hy  tncaiis  «»f  which  the  trivial  iiaifleiits  of  criihilniis  or  interested  news  j^atlierers. 
so  zealously  t'Nploiteil  heretofore  as  liist(»r\ ,  an-  sliow  II  to  In-  valueless.  The  idle 
tales  ri'sultin>^  tr<«ni  the  creative  fatiey  of  iti.iii,  cilhil  tradition,  nul  which  have 
nneonseionsl\  a  tenacious  liold  ii]M>n  evrti  inlvllij;ent  jieople,  thotij^h  the  t'tnes  are 
rei"iMil,  .and  writtc-n  records  availahle.  are.  liy  means  of  these  ricords.  in  a  way  to 
he  dis|pilUd.  C.irlylc  c.dls  history  "  the  letter  of  instruction^  from  llu-  old  ,i;ener- 
atioiistothc  new."  \ci-e]»tin.i;  that  ilelMiition.  it  is  the  duty  of  tin-  jireseiit  ;;ener- 
ation  to  iNauiiiii'  its  letter  of  iiistiuctious,  as  containi'd  in  tlie  ntlicial  records,  so 
as  to  ])lace  the  ])iouier>  of  ilii-  histrict  in  their  proper  class.  This  involves  an  ex- 
amination of  their  credentials,  .is  well  as  the  cousiileralion  of  their  aiitecidents,  and 
of  the  causes  and  events  which  le<l  to  theii  coming',  as  well  a>  thiir  situation  on 
arrival  here. 

It  will  siarci'ly  he  clisputed  that  the  e.irly  Canadian  Loyalists  s])ranj;  from  an 
aflveiiturous  stock,  whose  escape  from  allej,(ed  olil  world  persecntious  to  secure  reli- 
j^ious  and  political  freidom  in  tlie  new,  in  no  w.i\  i|iiencheil  their  love  of  coullict. 
or  dislike  of  any  antl!i>rit\  which  they  did.  not  dominate.  Apart  from  the  otiicial 
an<l  inleri  sted  classes,  the  mass  of  .\merican  C(»lonisis  on  the  eve  of  the  American 
KivolulioM,  were  practically  united  in  op]»()sin>(  the  mother  country.  The  leaders 
of  the  pojiular  cause  were  ahle,  tai'tful  and  darinj.;.  I'ul  candi  1  American  hi-- 
toriaiis  admit  that  they  were  leaders  of  a  minority  when  it  camo  to  a  tlnal  rnjiture. 
It  was  unfortunate  for  the  royal  cause-  that  the  loy;il  majoritv  had,  from  anioiiLi 
themselves,  no  leaders.  The  Colonial  officials  who,  hy  nature  of  their  ])ositions. 
assumed  to  K^i'l*-'-  'f  ""'^  ^*^  lead,  wxre  not  in  touch  with  the  )(ei>])le.  and  were  to 
some  extent  discredited  ])y  the  anta}.;oni^ms  of  loiij.r  years  of  dispute  hetween  them 
as  to  Crown  rij.;hts.  Tlu-  dei-laratioii  of  inde])endence  was  the  act  of  a  Couj^ress 
without  )ej.(al  authority.  Bancroft,  an  .\merican  historian,  .sail  1  it  w.is  "  unthin;.; 
more  solid  than  the  unformecl  opinion  of  an  unformed  peo])le." 

The  Colonists  enrolled  as  soldiers  ( lU  the  side-  of  the  Crown  ixceeiK-tl  25, mx) 
and,  durin^f  the  war,  their  homes  i\ere  destroyeil,  their  property  confiscatt'd  and 
their  families  hitterlv  ]>erseiaited.  Justice  re(iuireslhe  admission  that,  in  this,  as  in 
other  civil  wars,  llu-rewere  rejirisals  in  whii-h  the  Loyalists  iniitatiMl  the  deplorahle 
eNam])le  of  their  .adversaries.  lu'eliui^s  of  intense  hitteruess  and  mutual  hatred 
were  created  which,  when  the  conflict  etule<l,  could  not  l)e  dispelled,  nor  the  desire 
for  revenge  allayed.  The  coiKiuerors  easily  hecame  ])ersecutors.  1  >espit(.'  llu'  pro- 
visions of  the  treatv  of  peace.  s])eciall\'  ,i;nar.inteeing  the  proti-ction  of  the  j);()])erty 
anil  rii.;hts  of  the  Loy.ilists,  uii'iv  of  the  State  Le,u;islatures  ordered  conli'-cation  <>\ 
their  property.      Persecution  was  encouraged   ind  u]>held. 

This  persecution  drove  the  loyal  Colonists  into  exile.  There  was  a  tn-meudous 
rush  into  Can.ida  and  Nova  Scotia,  taxing  severelx  the  resnurces  of  those  volouies 
to  meet  the  urgent  necessities  of  those  destitute  and  sutTering  exiles.  .\nd  it  is 
through  the  elTorts  of  the  government  to  aid  those  exiles,  and  to  give  tluni  a  per- 
manent settlement,  ih.at  one  tnids  from  the  ol'I'u'ial  records  a  recognition  of  dilTereiit 
titles — titles  which  design.ate  a  divisii'ti  into  three  fairly  marked  classes.  These 
classes  seem  ;it  times  to  he  fused  or  bU-niled,  hut  a  little  coiisider.ition    will    show  a 


i 


Tiri':  C  AN  API  \N  I,()V\I,ISTS. 


i 


I 


Dinrkul  flilTi  riiuf  in  tn-Mttiicut,  aipl  a  ilistiiu'tioii  to  which  jtrai'liiMl  i-fTi-i  I  was 
^ivin  hy  ;4u\t'rmiii'iit.il  .iction.  II  will  \>v  niiilirslcxHl  ihiit  jitior  to  I7<)i  Ihi"  I'roviiici' 
roiii])ris«il  rpjiiT  ami  I.nwir  (.".mail.i,  in  whii'h.  ipatt  frnm  the  si  i^^iinirii-s.  tht- 
iiiiiiiL-ii^c  art'.i  fit"  \va^U'  laiitl  In  l(iii);ril  t<>  the  Ciowii.  As  th»'\  ha<l  no  ni  irktt  vahu*. 
a  KT'iiit  «>r  laml  was  an  fas\  tdrni  <i|  coinpt-nsalion.  To  locatt-  lh»  j^toninis  ami 
allot  tlu-  sfttU  rs,  a  |irt'liinijiar\  snr\t  y  was  ihr  first  stiji,  anil  for  many  n-asoiis  ihe 
first  Infants  wirt'  on  thf  I'.ay  i\v  CliaUiirs,  iinl  "U  tlu-  north  lianks  ot  tlir  St. 
I.awrtiu'c  ami  the  laki's,  the  loyalists  liciiij;  .issi-niliUil  at  (Jmlni*.  Son!  ami 
Moiitrcal  tor  transportation. 

I, 

'I'JK.'  I'irst  cl.i-s  to  In- ciiiisidfrt'd  was  i'oni|iosi'(l  ot  I'.in^lish  otlii-i.ils,  .ind  Colonial 
iion-conihat.ints  who  k-ft  thi-  ri'hrl  tolonirs  .it  tin- lu-i^inninj.;  of.  or  (hiriM)^  tlu-  war. 
Tlusc  int'ii  dill  n<it  dfpnciali-  thiir  nu-rils  or  niisrrit'S.  Tlu-y  had  tlu-  ,irt  of 
so  cNposin).;  thfir  '^rifts  and  st-rvirt-s  as  to  nutl,  from  a  ^i-iurons  y^'  <\  irntncnt,  a  fair 
nuasnrc  of  ri-ward  lor  fiij^itivc  loyalty.  I!arly  in  17SJ  an  invcstij^alioii  showed  that 
n]iwards  of  ^joo.tifx)  had  hciii  ])aid  for  ill  snjiport  of  ^i;;  rifui;i'i'  Loyalists,  in 
[.ondoii  alone.  'I'liis  was  aji.irt  from  olticcs,  pi  nsions,  ami  land  j.;rants  li  stowed. 
It  was  further  shown  as  an  instance  of  loyal  thrift,  that  after  the  death  <>f  2>,  ,,\  the 
nnmlier,  their  deniisi' had  hieti  eoneeah  •  and  the  Mrit.sh  ('.overnnKut  hail  con- 
tinued its  j.ii'mrous  relief  to  necessitous  loyalty  by  j  avini.;  for  their  sn])iiort  Wluii 
th.  ;fiitish  j)arliainent  met  in  17S;,,  afli-r  the  cl  >se  of  the  war  I  lis  M,ijest\  in  the 
s])eech  from  the  throne  said  :  "  That  a  ilue  .md  L;ener(»us  attention  on.L;ht  to  lie 
"shown  to  those  wlio  lia\i'  relin(|uishe<l  tip 'r  ])ro|)erties  or  possessions  from 
"  motives  of  loyally  to  jue,  or  atla(hnui;t  to  tlu-  mother  country."  .\s  a  rt  sidt  of 
this  snL;,uestion  a  commission  was  issued  to  receive  claims  for  losse^  from  all  clas.'-es 
of  sutferiiij.;  Loyalists,  which  i-otilinued  its  work  until  17SS,  Cl.iims  for  the  sum 
'•'f  >,S<»,. 110,9.^1  were  fyled.  on  which  was  allowc.l  an<l  ])aid  ^iS,c;i2,2()  |,  which  was 
repudiated  l>y  indefensihU'  prelixls  li\  the  .\inerit.in  ( lovernnient,  thoiii;h  the 
lossi'S  were  shown  to  Si-  in  violation  of  the  'l'ri'at\  of  re.ice.  The  niotlu'r  country 
was  nenerous  to  all  that  class  of  sulTerers.  The  old  Colonial  olVice  holders  .ippear 
to  have  heen  .1  ^.^reedy  lot.  -ind  dilticult  to  satisfy.  Their  names  cut  a  l>i,L;  lij^ure  in 
the  ollicial  records  t'or  frei-  i^MTuits  of  land.  ( )nt'  sampU-  will  illustrate  their 
character,  selectdt  hecause  his  covetous  e_\t-.  ha\iny  heen  last  ui)on  our  Townships. 
j;ives  his  L,M'eed  a  local  color. 

.\lir.iliam  Cu\Urw,is  I'ostm.'istir  at  \lh,iu\'.  when  the  revolution. iry  stru;,^le 
l)e,i.;.iu,  ;ind  luin^  a  Postmaster  w.is  natur.dly  and  otlicially  loy.il.  lie  I<.>t  his 
otlici',  and  took  the  mad  of  forced  exile.  lie  came  to  Canada,  and  later  went  to 
Cape  I'.reton,  and  secured  olTu'es  at  ditfereul  tinu-s.  r,inj.,'in^  frotn  a  modest  Inspec- 
torship to  .1  Judj.^eship  ;  li.id  a])]ilied  for  ,1  Customs  appointment,  a;id  .ictid  .is 
I,ieulenaut-(  loviriior,  whilst  ki  i]iiun  oii  f\le  sundry  cl.iiins  for  land  .and  com])en- 
satioii.  He  did  not  ,!.;et  on  well  with  the  luc.il  jiow'ers,  so  he  resij^Mied  from  the 
r.ench.  and.  the  war  Ijeini;  o\er,  he  ])Ushed  his  claims  for  com])ensalioii  in  Ni'W 
\'ork.  as  well  as  in  London.  I'lom  the  latti-r  j)kn'e  he  wroti-  tlu-  Canailiaii  .lulhori 
ties  for  ,1  i^rant  of  tlie  whole  Townshi])  of  Hemminvilord,  which  not  biintj  con- 
ceded, lu'  pointed  out  lands  in  Dunham,  Staiilirid.L;e.  L'.irnh.im,  Shefford  ,nid  Stai;- 
.stead,  for  which  lu-  desired  a  j^rant.     Then  lu   turned  up  with  a  cla,i;)  for  ;i  part  of 


8 


Till'   CANADIAN   LOYALISTS. 


MoiilrcaL  1)Ul  as  this  had  l:i'.ii  rc-^raiiUd  to  a  clnirch,  liis  family  was  ,L;ivL'ii  3,6rxD 
acns  of  hind  elsewhere,  .'is  an  t(Hii\a]int  for  the  ehnreli  ])r(.])erty.  Later,  as  hi- 
a])])earcd  to  want  a  farm  of  his  own  to  carry  C)n,  ami  the  land  ot'licials  s(.eminj.(  hy 
that  time  to  liavi-  tired  of  his  imjiortunity,  it  was  ordered  that  <-)Ut  (;f  the  dis])os.ihle 
hinds  in  I'arnh.am,  a  j^rant  shonid  hi-  j^jiven  to  IMessrs.  Cuxler  and  Allso|)j).  Ik' 
and  two  of  his  sons,  hecame  AssociaUs  of  the  To",  nship  of  l"arnhani,  and  rereived 
the  nsnal  allotments  of  }.irants  as  siuli.  Hut  ;is  'Sly.  .\ll>o])])  had  received  ]irior 
grants,  and  Judj^e  (iale  had  to  take  a  mountain,  and  liis  wif  .'s  relations,  swam])s 
and  led^res,  towards  tlu'ir  considirahle  shares  therein,  it  may  he  fairly  presumecL 
that  the  dis])osahle  Crown  Lands  in  I'arnham  were  exh;uisleil  before  Judge  Cuyler 
got  into  tlie  precinct.  What  finally  1)eca!.ie  of  him  I  do  not  know,  hut  one  cannot 
hel])  sadly  reflecting,  what  an  adililional  glor\-  il  would  have  heeii  for  I'arnham, 
had  judge  Cuyler  heen  entoml)ed  within  its  borders,  to  exi'ite,  in  Liter  years,  the 
grief  and  curiosity  of  searchers  for  jo!)  l(*ts  of  L.  L.  Loyalists. 

It  is  submitted,  that  the  whole  of  this  class,  just  considered,  wire  not  I'.  H. 
Lo}  ists.  The  Colonists  were  not  inrolled  as  soldiers  in  the  war,  and  the  native 
hon  I'.ngHshnien  were  bound  b\-  the  ties  of  birth  and  allegiance  to  lie  loyal  with- 
out exacting  C(jm])ensatioii  for  tidelil\-  to  such  ties, 

II 

The  second  class  of  Loyalists  com])rised  tlu  Colonial  soldiers  enrolkil  in  the 
army  prior  to  tlu'  Treaty  of  Peace  in  17.S3,  and  w  luj  came  at  oiicc.  with  their  fami- 
lies {()  Canada  at  the  close  of  the  w  ar. 

'I'luse  men  ai)pear  to  havi' left  i>\.  once  w  ithout  slojjping  to  l)arter  their  alle- 
giance. Large  as  their  numlier  was,  the  Crow  n  was  generous  in  granting  thviii  land, 
in  conveying  them  to  the  jilaci-s  allotted  for  location,  and  in  granting  them  teni])o- 
rary  aid  and  subsistence.  And  to  estal)lish  their  identity,  and  to  distinguish  tlu-m 
from  the  Refugee  L(\valists,  for  all  time  to  come,  the  (lovernment  on  the  9th 
Novemlier,  1  7S(),  by  a  minute  of  Council  ordered,  that  :  "  .All  Loyalists  who  joined 
"  ihe  Standard  bi'fore  tl:e  Treaty  of  I'eace  in  17^;-,,  and  all  children,  and  descen- 
"  dants  of  either  sex,  are  to  be  distinguished  'n\-  the  Utters  '  l".  I'..'  allixed  to  their 
"  names,  alluding  to  tlu'  great  ]irinci]ile  oi  the  unity  of  the  Lm])ire."  It  was  fur- 
ther ordered,  at  the  same  time,  that  a  Register  should  be  kept  so  that  their  jjoster- 
it\-  might  be  discriminated  from  future  settlers.  It  is  reasonably  certain  that  al^ 
did  not  register.  The  Ontario  list,  containing  many  I. astern  Townsh)i)s  names,  is 
ju'ocurable,  but  there  is  no  special  list  lor  (juebec,  because  Loyalists  wen-  ex- 
chuled  from  seltUinent  on  Crown  Lands  south  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 

n\-  the  Order  of  Council  we  have  a  clear  and  authoritative  delinition  of  tlu- 
Loyalists.  It  is  not  a  courtesy  title,  nor  gained  by  common  re])Ute.  l!y  it  we  find 
the  distinguishing  conditions  of  a  \' .  I'..  Lovalist  to  be  ;  1.  An  i-nrollment  as  a 
Colonial  soldier  in  the  ann\'  during  the  u.ir  ;  or  2.  A  desec  nd.mt  of  such  soldier. 
The  ilescent  from  such  soldier  is  not  dilTicult  to  establish  where  there  was  an  en- 
rollment in  the  Register.  The  absence  of  registration  creates  a  ])resum])tion 
against  the  claim  to  be  a  l'.  I',.  Loyalist,  which  cannot  be  (nercome  by  a  bare  state- 
ment of  such  claim.  Through  ignorance  of  the  ( )rder  in  Council  many  have  as" 
sumed  that  an  earlv  land  Ljrant  mu'-l  ha\(.-  been   the  rewanl  of  lo-^altv,  ami  there 


Till'.  CANADIAN   I.OVAl.USTS. 


9 


sceli- 
llieir 
i'ur- 

ICT- 

it  all 
(-•s,  is 


fnre.  an  effertive  title  to  tliu  distinction  of  lieitii,'  a  \'.  I!.  I,<>;  alist.      Hut  all  those 
early   land  j^rants  were   not  j^jiven   on   aeconnt   of   loyalty,     The  ollicial  definition 
should,  however,  determine  the  matter.     The  true  l",  I",.  Loyalist,  as  just  jiointcd 
out,  was  a  Colonial  soldier  who,  us  such,  had  suffereil  the  hardshi})S  of  actual  war, 
and  had  been  ex])osed  toits  perils  and  risks,  during  which   he  had  been  conscious 
of  the  ])erseciitions  and  sufferin,^s  of   famil\  and  friends  at  home.      He  had  under- 
t^one  the  trials  and.  miseries  of  de])ortation  when  the  war  closed,  and  had   emlured 
}.{reat  ])rivations  for  years  thereafter  through  want  of  means,  and  hv  reason  of  re- 
moteness from  markets  and  livili/.ation.     It  is  manh'estly  unfair  to  class  such  men 
with  those  who  had  not  l)orne  arms,  liowever  nuu'h   the  latter   may  have  suffepMl 
through   jersecutioii  or  otherwise'.     ( )ne  cannot  read  witliont  interest,  to  say  the 
least,   the  jiainful   records  of    those  exiled   Loyalists.     Their  primitive  makeshifts 
may,   today,  excite  a   smile,   hut  they  do.  not  lessen  respect.      Matiy  instances  of 
such  makeshifts  are  recorded  in  local  history,  or  have  been   handed  dow!i  from 
gcni-ration  to  .plication.      Mr    I'.dward   Harris,  a  descendant  of  a  l'.  !•",.  I.ovalist, 
in  a  |iai)er  re,-.d   before  the  Canadian    Inslilute  at  Toronto  in    1897,  related  one  of 
those  incidents,  common  to  most  of  the  early  settlements  in   some   resi)ects,  result- 
ing from  ])ioneer  makeshifts,  which  deserves  re])roduct;()n.      He  sai<l  that  in  1794 
his  grandfather  became  tlu'   first  settler  in  the   Long   I'oint  country  on  the  north 
shore  of  Lake    I'.rii-,  having  remoMil   tliere  from  New    Brunswick,   where   he  had 
settled  in    17S3.      "In   the  absence  of  all  other  clothing  ami  snpplits,"   he  writes, 
"  the  le^s  fortunate  .settlers,  and  as  a  rule,  all  the  men,  used  the   skins  of  animals. 
"  The  girls,  in  mild  weather,  usu.ally  wore  a  buckskin   slip.      '  White  goods,'    we:e 
"  not  known  in  lliosi'  davs.      .Miss  Sallv  Sprague,  a  fine  girt  of    i.\  or  15  years,  had 
"  been   in    my  mother's  kitchen  with   her  ])arents  and  noticed  washing  going  on  in 
"  ihe  usual  wa\-  l)v  boiling  in  soap  and  watei.      .\  few  days  after,  vSally  took  ad\ant- 
"  age  of  her  pariiits  absence  lo  wasli  her  only  garment,  the  sli]).     This  she  did,  by 
"  boiling  it.      We  all  know  the  action  of  water  ami   heat  on    leather,  and  Sally  had 
"  lo  retreat  into  the  jiotato  hole  inider  the  ilot)r.      When  her  ])arents  returned   thev 
"soon  found  the  shrunken  slip,  and  thi'ti  the  girl.     She  was  brought   down   to  my 
"  mother's  house   in   a   barrel,  on  an    ox-team  four  miles,  and  temporarily  clothed 
"  until   inori'  buckskin   could   be  found.     This    Miss  Sprague's  gratid-daughter  is 
"now  l.ady  b.  in  I'.ngland."     This  incident  i>   also   related   in  Dr.  Ryerson's  his- 
tory of  the  r.   I-",.  Loyalists,  with  considerable  dilTerence  as  to  j)articulars,  although 
b  )th  he  and  Mr.  Harris  obt.'iiiu'il  their  information!  from  the  same  per.son. 

III. 


the 
find 
as  a 
lier. 

en- 
ition 
Late- 

as" 
ere 


The  third  class  of  I.ovalists  comjirised  those  Colonial  non-combatants  who,  with 
their  families,  left  aftei*  the  Treaty  n(  I'eace,  at  the  I'onclusioii  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  through  the  fierce  persecut:t)n  which  for  a  time  followed. 

'I'hat  this  clas!^  came  to  Canada  ;  a  result  of  the  merciless  pensecutioii  before 
niiMitioned,  is  recordeil  iu  the  histories  of  that  jteriod,  is  treasured  caniong  the 
annals  of  tlie  ])eo]iIe,  and  is  borne  out  and  fully  verified  1)\  the  official  documents  of 
that  day.  It  is  the  i)iimi|.al,  if  not  the  .sole  groutid  n])on  which  that  large  number 
of  refugee  Loyalists  based  their  persistent  claims  for  provisions,  com])ensation  and 


lo 


TirrC  CANADIAN    F,(  )VAI.IS'1'S. 


1.111(1  grants.     Thuv  were  (jiiick  to  see  the  strength  of  the  cry  of  persecuted  lovaUy, 
with  a  well  (lisjjosed,  and  not   severely  critical   Ilxecutive.     Hut,  as  the  Provincial 
authorities  could  not  at  once  coinjily  with   all  their  urgent  demands,   theiC  was 
grave  dissatisfaction,  fc>llowe<l  by  strong  complaints.     It  was  impossible   for  them 
to  be  patient,  or  to  make  any  show  of  self-reliance,  seeing  that  they  had  lost  every- 
thing, and  were  in  sore  distress,     They  were  not  in  a  position  of  isolated  inde{)en- 
deiice,  with  suiTicient  means  of  support,  which  warranted  their  taking  the  stand  of 
those  early  Connecticut  settlers,  who  proclaimed  that  they  would   be  governed  by 
the  laws  of  (iod — until  they  ha<l  time  to  make  better.     The  olTicial   reports  stated 
that  those  earh-  Canadian  settlers  would  make  malignant  representations  against 
an   angel  ;  that  some  of  them   would   not  carry  the   chain   to  mark  out  their  own 
lands,   without  exorbitant   i)ay  from   the  (lovernment  ;  that  there  was  trickery  in 
dis]H)sing  of  their  lands  and  seeking  further  coni])en9ation  ;  that  there   were  laml 
speculators  and  jobbers  ;  that  there  were  clamors,  jealousies  and   grasping  greed  ; 
that  there  was  sedition,  led  b}-  an  uidioly  combination  of  a  lawyer  ami  an  apothe- 
cary ;  that  they  had  "  to  nu^ke  magistrates  out  of   men  whom  (jod  Almighty  never 
"intended   for  the  office,  but  it  was  Ilobson's   choice;"    that   there   were   many 
worthless  characters  among  the  arrivals,  and  that  some  of  the  settlers  were  indif- 
ferent.    His  I'^xcellency,  the  (lOvernor-C.eneral.  finding  that  despite  ell  efforts  to 
satisfy  everybody,  the  dissatisfaction  and  artifices  continued,  ordered  the  immedi- 
a'e  discontinuance  of  i)rovisions  and  aid  to  those  who,  from  fickleness  or  languor, 
threw  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  general  good.     The  history  of  those  (|uarrels,  \>v- 
twcen  exiles  and  blxecutive,  is  not  now  really  essential.     !t  is  mentioned   to  show 
the  character  of  a  class,  which,  coming  so  closely  on  the  heels  of  the  W  ]'..  Loyal- 
ists, and  like  them  receiving  land  grants,  has  found   iu   our  day  peo]>le  who  rank 
them  with  those  ancient  worthies.     The  claims  have  even  been  extended  to  cover, 
as  r.  l\.  Loyalists,  th»"  calm  and  ])eaceful  (Juakers,  forced  into  exile.     The  droll 
effect  of   placing  the  unwarlike  <juaker  in  line  with  the  esscntiall\   wiirlike   \' .  \\. 
Loyalist,  because  both  recei^-ed   Crown  Ijounties,  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred 
to  them. 


h<l 
Ci 


te 


.An  invident  of  that  time,  which  the  Ca.uadiau  archivist  says  he  luis  never  seen 
referre<l  to  by  an  American  historian,  and  which  is  recalled  by  allusit)n  to  (Jnakers, 
is  interesting,  as  showing  a  peculiarity  of  those  early  Lo\alists,  though  not  other- 
wise in  line  with  my  subject.  The  small  Lslaud  of  Nantucket,  off  the  coast  < if 
the  Massachusetts  coast,  is  said  to  have  been  iidudnted  in  17S5  by  Ouakers  con- 
nected with  the  whale  fisheries.  In  that  year  they  gravel\-  ])roposed  to  separate 
from  Massachusetts,  and  become  a  neutral  state,  or,  failing  in  this,  to  become  an 
ajipendage  of  C.reat  Ikitain.  'i'he  newly  arrived  Loyalists  in  Nova  Scotia  success 
fully  c)pp()sed  the  scheme  011  the  ground  "  That  in  that  case  all  the  whale  oil  from 
"  the  Northern  States  would  pass  throught  Nantucket,  as  the  product  of  the  in- 
"  ilustry  of  British  subjects,  and  be  admitted  into  (ireat  Britain  free  of  duty,  to  tlie 
"  ruin  of  the  same^trade  carried  on  from  Nova  Scotia."  The  thrifty  and  sagacious 
(Uiakers  may  have  had  in  view  the  advantages  of  their  position,  as  a  point  for 
smuggling  rather  than  any  possible  benefit  lo  the  I'",mj)ire,  bv  adding  their  island 
thereto.     If  so,  they  were  checkmated  by  the  foresight  of  the    Loyalists.     This, 


I 


TIIIv  CANADIAN   I. OVA  LISTS. 


1 1 


however,  seems  to   be  the  first   record  of  the  ailoptioii  of  the  National  l*olie\  iii 
ChikkUi,  and  should  set  at  rest  all  recent  claims  as  to  its  paternity. 

.After  these  digressions  we  come  back  to  tliis  third  Loyalist  class,  wlio  have 
themselves  ])ri])ared  the  record  which  excludes  them  from  the  slightest  considera- 
tion as  r.  \'.,  Loyalists.  The  only  reason  they  gave,  at  the  time  for  coming  to 
Canada,  and  the  only  rea.son  ever  given  on  their  behalf  is,  that  after  the  Treaty  of 
Peace,  they  were  grievously  persecuted  and  driven  into  exile.  What  those  refuijee 
Loyalists,  in  effect,  said,  was  this  :  "  We  desired  to  stay  in  our  old  homes  and  re- 
"  tain  our  ])r()])erty  ;  to  do  this  we  were  willing  to  change  our  allegiance,  to  sur- 
'•  render  the  jiosition  of  British  subjects  and  become  citizens  of  the  Republic  ;  but 
"  our  i.iclinations  atid  good  will  were  rejected  ;  they  persecuted  us,  confiscated  our 
"  })ro])crl\- and  drove  us  into  unwilling  exile  ;  therefore  we  come  to  vou  and  ask 
"  for  a  land  tyrant,  on  the  score  of  loyalty, -and  comi)ensation  for  losses  suffered, 
'•  because  not  allowed  to  change  our  allegiance."  It  is  clear  they  would  have  re- 
maintd,  if  alli^wed  to  do  so.  Hence,  their  loyalty  was  not  spt)ntaneous,  or  disin- 
terested. (ii>  they  must  and  go  they  did,  aiul  naturally  made  the  best  of  a  bad 
bargain,  by  getting  as  much  compensation  as  possible,  out  of  the  Crown. 

Whilst  it  is  essential  to  the  truth  of  history  that  the  facts  should  be  stated,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  harshly  judge  those  unfortunate  aiul  impoverished  exiles.  The 
i-oloniis  were  their  homes.  There  they  were  born  and  reared.  There  were  ties  of 
race,  kindred,  laws,  institutions  and  religion  common  between  them  and  the  suc- 
cessful Co:oi:isi>  in  the  war.  Together  they  had  worshi]>i)ed  at  the  same  altar, 
shared  the  vicissitudes  and  jierils  of  Colonial  existence,  and  borne  the  burdens  and 
enjo\ed  the  comforts  and  jileasures  of  civil  and  social  life  in  their  several  com- 
munities. Tile  change  to  them  from  a  colony  to  an  independent  nation,  accu.s- 
tonud  as  tl'.e\  had  been  to  a  con.siderable  measure  of  local  .self-government,  would 
not  1  e  so  sudden  or  distinct  as  it  would  have  been,  had  not  the.se  iditions 
existed,  or  li.id  they  been  con<|uered  by  an  alien  race.  It  is  evident,  as  well,  that 
the  british  (Mjvernment  had  contemj)late(l  their  so  reitiaining,  inasmuch  as  the 
treaty  of  ])eace  expressly  ])rovided  for  the  protection  of  their  ])ro])erty  and  rights. 
The  subse(|uent  evasion  of  the  treaty  could  not  have  been  foreseen.  Nevertheless, 
we  nnist  be  careful  not  to  unduly  magnify  the  passive  position  of  neutrals  in  a 
ci\  il  war,  into  ihe  hightest  kin<l  of  patriotism  and  loyalty,  by  shouldering  them 
into  the  raiik^  of  those  who  risked  their  lives,  as  \vell  as  their  fortunes,  as  loval 
soldiers  (jf  their  Sovereign,  as  did  the  gemiine  V.  l\.  Loyalist. 


A  fertile  source  of  error  respecting  the  old  Loyalists  conies  from  the  long, 
ali)habetically  arrangecL  and  frecjuently  repeated  lists  of  applicants  for  lands,  con- 
tained in  several  years  reports  of  the  Dominion  Archives.  These  are  apt  to  mis- 
lead, and,  in  fact,  have  misled  many,  as  to  the  (piality  of  those  therein  naniecL  A 
very  little  investigation,  and  com])ari.son  of  (kites,  will  show  that  tho.se  lists  com. 
prise  the  old  .\ssociates,  who  were  the  jiioneers  and  actual  settlers  of  the  Kastern 
Townshii'S,  an<l  who  obtained  their  lands  long  after  the  r.  \\.  and  other  Loyalists 
had  been  definitely  located  elsewhere.  They  were,  on  the  whole,  an  absoluteK- 
ililTerent  class  from  the  (-Id  Loyalists,  or  any  other,  or  later  class  of  settlers.  The 
enor  as  to  the  .Associates  has  been  greatly  helped  along  by  the  ])ersi.stent  claims  of 


12 


TIIK  CANADIAN    LOVAMSTS. 


recent  partisans,  hy  the  luloj^ies  of  loial  hiogra])hers  exalting  the  ikad,  to  ])r<)- 
])itiate  the  livinj^,  and  l)y  taking'  early  residence,  lo\  alt\ ,  hind  j^raiils  and  l'.  I-",. 
I.oyahsts  as  synonymons  or  convi-rtihle  terms.  The  j)lacinj4  of  the  associates  in  the 
old  Loyalist  I'lass  which  j^receded  them,  does  them  an  injustice,  for  the  .Associates, 
bein.n  more  self-reliant,  jiosse.ssed  of  .some  me.ins,  and  not  de])endent  u])on  (rO\eni- 
metit  1)()unty,  witc  a  better  class  of  settlers  to  develoj)  a  new  coinitry  than  the  ohl 
Loyalists  could  have  been,  had  they  .settled  here,  as  a  little  consideration  will  show. 
b'or  several  years  after  the  treat\  of  ])eai'e  in  17S;,  our  ijovernment  positively 
refused  jiertnission  to  settle  aloni;  the  bordir.  After  1791,  when  the  Province  was 
divided  into  r])]H:r  and  I.ower  Canada,  the  ])olic\'  was  chan}.;ed  so  as  to  induce 
i'.nj^lish  s])eakinj^  settlers  t<i  locate,  and  settle  on  the  Crown  lands  in  tlu-  Ivasti-rn 
To\vnshi])S,  then  unsnrve\ed,  and  a  sur\e\  was  the  first  ]iri-liuiinar\  to  a  !L;rant. 
The  intentions  of  the  ^^overnment  were  \\idel\  dissi-minated  in  Ni  \v  l'"u.i;l;ind  - 
where  over  150  years  of  settlement  had  exhausted  the  market  for  farm  lauds  iii 
ordir  to  attract,  as  settlers,  those  desirini,^  lo  secure  ^ood  lauds  for  settlement,  on 
e:isy  conditions.  So  early  as  1  7SS  the  advanta}.;cs  had  iieen  nri^td  (f  .l,(  Itini;  fnui 
New  b'n.^land  a  i-lass  of  settlers,  who  had  r<.]ient(.d  of  tlieir  h(jstilit\  \':  tlu-  british 
Ciovernment.  'I"hc  new  j)olicy  com])riscd  an  or_nani/atiou,  (/r  ccm]  any,  called  As- 
sociates, to  whom  the  new  Townshi])  was  j^ranted.  The  at^ent  of  the  .Associates, 
called  the  Under,  was  r.sually  a  man  with  ,s(,n'.e  miaus  and  int]u(r.i('.  lie  bicniH' 
lesjjonsible  for  the  fidlillmtnt  of  the  conditions,  the  oidv  one  ot  the  many  nally 
])re.s.sed  beinj.^  the  cost  of  tlu-  ]  rimitiM-  snrvew  whiih  had  to  be  m:  de  as  a  jireli- 
min;Mv  to  tlu-  erection  of  the  Townslii]i,  and  the  u, ra n t i n ,n  of  tl.c  lauds.  Tlie 
.\s.sociates,  with  nmarkalik'  uuifoimitv,  alleged  jirior  .ittacliuicnt,  <.r  le]  eut.anre  of 
hostility,  which,  as  they  had  ("ri^inidly  bieii  liritish  subjicls,  ir.\('".\i  1  no  st  vi  u- 
moral  stiain.  besides,  tlu' war  in  N«  w  I'lnt^land,  frc  m  whtnce  tl.c  \  mostly  lame 
had  been  on  its  outskirts,  so  that  those  li\  iu,u  inlaml  in  the  'i/)'s  h;.d  ])r()b,abl\  ne\er 
l)orne  anus  on  cither  side,  'i'hc  (loxcrumcnt  took  no  scntimer.ta!  view  of  the 
m.atter,  and  accejitcd  means  ;ind  character  as  conditions,  more  than  j)rolcssed  ])rior 
allegiance,  or  sorrow  for  hostilitv.  The  fact  is,  the  (io\frmnent  wanted  settlers; 
the  settlers  wanted  lands.  Inder  such  conditions,  no  tec-hnical  or  sentimental  con- 
siderations were  likely  to  be  an  ol)stacle  in  the  wav  of  an  agreement  between  the 
parties.  vSome  of  the  leaders  and  .Associates  were  business  mei!,  who  went  into  the 
undertaking.;'  for  s]iec-ulative  motixcs.  or  to  tmike  u])  the  rc(|uircil  uund)er,  aud  who 
disjKJsed  of  their  interests  and  ue\er  came,  nor  intended  to  come,  at  all.  .\fter  the 
survey,  the  Townshi])  was  erected,  j^ivc-n  a  namc\  ;iud  the  lands  allotted  to  tlu- 
Associates  by  grant.  Thus  Dunham  was  created  in  179^),  Potton,  I'.oltoh,  and 
i?rome  in  I7cj7,  I'artiham  in  1  7c>S,  Stanbridgc  in  iSoi,  ;ind  so  on  up  to  1S07,  when  a 
h;dt  was  called.  St.  Armand,  St.  (icorge  de  Claiemeville  and  St.  'l"homas  wcrc- 
created  Seigniories  ])ric)r  to  the  com|uest — and  not  being  Crown  laiuls,  could  not  be- 
granted  or  made  Townshi])S.  Governor  I'restutt,  a  few  years  after  the  adoption  of 
the  policy  in  (picsticm.  divided  the  .\ssocialts  into  three  clas.'"s;  1.  l'eoi)le  who 
had  always  been  attached  to  the  british  cause;  2.  People  who  have  been  led 
astra\  ;  and  3.  Mere  .speculators,  whose  .ijijilications  he  said  were  inuiuTous.  He- 
comi)lained  bitterly  to  the  honu'  (lovernmeut  of  the  attem])ts  of  the  specidators  t< 
obtain  large  grants  in  order  to  create  a  nic)no])oly  ;  of  straw  men  being  put  up  as 


TIIH  CANADIAN   LOYALISTS. 


I  ; 


;i])])lic{ints  to  evade  the  rej^ulatioiis  ;  of  the  i  oiiijiliiity  of  iiieinl;eis  of  his  own 
cfviincil  in  the  sehcnies;  of  colhisive  tiii-ks  with  ImikI  surveyors  to  firther  their 
jilatis,  and  the  dissatisfaction  of  these  hmd  johliers,  as  Chief  Jn:-tiee  ?tIonk  lalled 
tlicni,  when  their  jilaiis  were  thwarted.  In  the  I'l-l-er  I'rovinre  th(. y  wen-  havinjf 
their  troul)ks.  f<jr,  in  iSos,  an  (  fiieial  elai-sified  \hv  latir  refrs^te  settlets  from  the 
r.  S.  as  :  I.  '1  Ik  i^e  enticed  hy  a  j^iatuituoiis  (  ITt  r  of  land  wilh.ont  any  ]in(lilection 
for  tlie  liritish  constitution  ;  2.  'lliose  \\h<;  liad  lied  fr«  ni  tlie  r.  S.  for  crimes  or 
to  escape  their  creditors  ;  and  ;,.  Kijuhhcans  who  came  as  settlers,  lo  jilot 
a.nainst  Great  Britain.  'J'he  Associates  were  of  a  bitter  class  of  n:en  than  these,  ])i!t 
were  not  of  the  Loyalist  class  nitntii;ned,  wliich  came  at  tlie  chsc-  of  tlu-  war,  as  a 
little  consideration  will  show.  .-\  ])erio(l  of  about  13  \  ears  interxeiud  between  the 
treaty  of  ])eace  and  tl;e  j^rant  of  the  fiist  Tow  nshij)  to  the  .\ssoci;',tt  s.  Th.e  bitter, 
and  .general  persecution  followinj.^-  the  close  of  tl:e  war,  as  before  nitntic  ntd,  drove 
into  e.xile  every  man  snsjiected  of  attaidnnent  to  the  mother  countr\ .  This  l<>nj4 
period  is  ccnclusive  that  tliose  Associates  wh.o  came  (n  the  creation  of  the  Town- 
shijjs  must,  during  their  rtsidtnce  ft  r  so  ni;;n\  yti'.is  in  tl.iir  old  lun.ts,  have 
satisfied  the  local  authorities  there,  of  tluir  satisfaction  with,  an<l  alles^iani'e  to,  the 
new  order  of  things.  Had  the\  not  dune  so,  it  is  certain  that  tlH'\-  could  not  thus 
have  remained  among  a  peoj)le  on  the  aleit  \\>v  Hiitish  s\  ni]  athi/.c  rs,  .".nd  agains'. 
whom  that  people  were  violently  enragi'd. 

This  long  residencee,  where  the  authorities  exacted  active  and  open,  and 
Wduld  n(jt  tolerate  ])assive  allegiance  to  the  new  nation,  ilispels  ;iny  p' ssible  illu- 
sion ;is  to  lo\alt\-  to  the  Crown.  Its  tardv  nianifeslatiDii,  until  stimubitcd  b\  self- 
interest,  is  iiicom])atible  with  lo\al  sincerit\-,  or  consistent  with  theactive  vigiLuue 
of  .\mericans  towards  suspected  bo\alisls.  .\  lo\ally  which  is  doimant,  or  linger- 
ing, until  spurred  into  action  by  the  pros]  fit  (A  material  advancement  is  not  gen- 
eralJN-  thought  to  be  of  the  highest  order,  or  to  contain  the  elements  from  which 
true  ]:atri(itisni  s])rings.  liut  whatever  face  tb.e  I'K.vincial  autlK-rities  ma\  have 
])Ut  u])on  formal  professions,  it  is  ixidiut,  from  tlie  (I'lici.d  dicr.mcnls,  that  ll.c\- 
looked  ujion  them  ,is  a  g(  od  natured  contrivann.-,  ami  were  n(.l  lUceivcd  as  to  their 
value.  They  were  (juile  content  tit  leceivi-  a  g(  od  class  (-f  setlkrs,  <  n  their  own 
rating,  without  minutely  scanning  nmiivL's. 

l\unning  over  the  list  of  .\ssociatos,  a  similaritv  if  well  kmuu  names,  ci  m- 
biuid  \\  ith  ])arit\'  of  objec'ts,  create  s  a  pn  ^uui])liou  that  someiif  tl:e  old  I'lasses  o' 
lo\alists  had  gone  astray,  or  had  I crn  belated  in  iecei\ing  grants,  aiul  had  joined 
the  Assen'iates,  as  their  last  chance.  Their  ren  gni/ed  Io\al  (juality,  throu,L;h  early 
arrival,  would  tend  to  aid,  materially,  the  .Associates  in  obtaining  Tow  ushi]' charters 
and  alU,tment  of  lands,  but  there-  weie  not  many  of  them  at  the  best. 

There  also  a].]Kar,  n( w  and  ll'.en,  isolatei!  ^jeeimens  (f  the  old  Coh.ni.il 
Lnglish  (  ffiCials  wl;o  may  liaxe-  east  in  tl.eir  lot  with  the-  .\sM»ciates,  for  tlu-  reason 
before  maintained.  .\  case  in  ]:oiut,  and  close-  at  hand,  is  th.it  of  the  l.ite  Samuel 
Gale,  whose  hscal  title  of  Judge-  Gale,  it  will  do  no  harm  to  accejjt.  'I'ln-  ilec.iy  of 
his  tombstone  in  ICast  I'arnham  seems,  at  irregular  intervals  of  lime,  to  e.M'ite  the 
grief  e»f  the  c  .sual  and  curieais  visitnf,  and  as  the  trembling  fingers  ],ush  aside  the 
moss  from  the  e])it.ij)h  commemorating  lU-iiarted  \irtues  and  grc.ilnes--,  a  new  rule 
of  historical  interjtretation  d.iwiis  u],on  tlu  maddened  mind,  and  jndgt-  G.ile-  is  ].ro- 


14 


Till",  CANADIAN   I.OVAMSTS. 


iiiotril  to  the  r.  K.  Loyalist  class,  to  which  he  has  no  more  rit^hl  than   to  that    of 
Ju(i,L;e.     'I'here  are  iiisunnomitahle  objections  to  his  bein,t(  so  cf)nsi<lere(l.     The  true 
r.  Iv.  Loyalist  was   a  native  born  Colonial  soMier,  or  the  descendant  of  one.   Ju'U;e 
(rale  was  i;eilher.     He  was  an  I-'.nglish  Colonial  olTicial  of   the  non-combatant  ty])e, 
then  a  refu,t,'ee,  and  later  an  Associate.     Horn,   reared  and  educated  in   Ivnj^dan  d- 
he  came  to  the  Colonies  in  i  770,  secured  a  public  oiTice  and   was  married.     When 
the  revolution  came,  his  remarks  were   not  api)reciated  ;    they   raised  a  prejudice 
aj.,'ainst  him.     One  of  his  bio.ifrai)hers  says  :  "He  may  have  f)verste])ped  the  bounds 
of  a  calculatinj.^  ])rudence."'     After  release  on  ])arole  from  imj)risonment,  he  joined 
the  Hritish  Army  near  New  Vf)rk  in  1776,  and  for  several  years  ])erfornied   clerical 
duties  as  cashier  and  itinerant  paymaster  for  the  army,  and  came  to  Canada  a  few 
years  after  the  close  of  the  war.     In  a  memorial  to  the  British  authorities  in    17S7. 
he  refers  to   these  things  :     to  his  loss  of  olTice  and  its  profits,    to  the  confiscation 
of  his  ])roperty,  and  prayed  therein,  "  for  such  relief  as  may  ;ip])ear  proportioiiate 
"  to  what  may  have  been  granted  to  other  suffering  Loyalists,  wiio  likewise  served 
"in  dcfyartinents  of  trust  iu  the  civil  hranclh's  of  the  ixrniyy      The  civil  branch    is 
not  the  fighting  branch  of  an  anny.     I'or  himself.   Judge  dale  never  claitned    to 
have  been  a  s<jldier,  or  a  U.  K.  Loyalist.     Had  he  borne  arms,  it  would  have  been 
mentioned  in  his  memorial.     After  his  arrival  he  was  given  an  olhce,  and   in    1798 
he  became  leader  of  the  Associates  of  the  Township  of  l-'arnham,  receiving   a  land 
grant.     His  kind  solicitude  for  his  wife's  collateral  kin — and  there  wee  ten  in  the 
family — procured  each  of  them  considerable  grants.     lie  had  lofty  i   eas,  atncjng 
them  being  the  desire  to  establish  in   I'arnham  a  family  estate,  after  the   I^nglish 
pattern,  with  tenants,  dogs  and  all  the  baronial   fixtures.     But  in  a  new  country 
where  salts  was  the  leading  iiuUistry,  neat  cattle  current  money,  and  the  hospitable 
stimulant  for  lordly  revelry  was  distilled  from  the  succulent  potato,  lie  had  to  con- 
tent   himself   with    a   coat   of   arms,    and   a    local    title   conferred   by   neighbors, 
jirudently  anxious  to  projjiti'te  the  only  man   in  the  settlement  who  had  a   grind- 
stone.    Having  starte<l  early  in  life  as  a  jmblic  otTicer,  and  followed  in  that  line  for 
many  years,    he  hankered  in  his   rural    retirement   for  public  position,   and   as  he 
could  not  be  a  Duke,  he  was  ai)])ointed  a  notary  jjublic,  then,  as  now,  an  oflTice  of 
mystery,  honor  and  emoluments.     With  this  ofilce,  and  the  op])ortunity  of  render- 
ing valuable  services  to  the  early  settlers,  he  closed  an  eventful  life.     But,  after  all, 
is   it    a  surprising  thing  that,  in  a  time  of  i)eril,  Judge  (rale   remained  true  to  his 
Sovereign    rather  than  become  an  ally  of  the   rebels?     Had  he  followed  aiicien 
jirecedent  in  preferring  ]X)ttage  to  I)irtliright,   and  cast  in   his  lot  with  the  rebel 
Colonists,  he  would  justly  be  held  up  to  scorn,  as  a  traitor  to  his  sovereign.    Being 
an  iMiglishman    he  was  loyal,  and  those  who  now  claim  a   special  distinction   for 
him  on  that  score,  do  his  memory  a  gross  injustice,  and  dis])lay  ignorance  of  the 
ICnglish  character.     It  is  an  indirect  way  of  saying  that  Ivnglish  loyalty  is  a  subject 
of  dicker,  and  barter,  fidelity  to  allegiance  an   unusual   incident,  and  an    Ljiglish- 
man's  patriotism  l)ased  upon  expectation  of  rewanL     The  end  of  the   (|uestion    is, 
however,  that  he  does  not  come  within  the  terms  of  the  Order  in  Council  as  to  V .  V,. 
Loyalists. 

In  studying  tlie  ([uestioii  of  early  settlement  one  may  well   kee])  in   mind  that 
it  was  about  13  years  after  the  location  of  the  Loyalists  before  the   first  Township 


TIIIv  CANADIAN   LOYALISTS. 


15 


was  created,  and  j^raiitfd  to  tlie  Associates  :  that  a  survey  was  an  essential  ])rior 
condition  to  a  j^^rant  :  that  the  want  of  such  survey  is  conchisive  against  a  ^ranl  ; 
tlial  the  Government  had  forbidden  settli  nietit  on  the  border  ;  that  the  uims  at.d 
conditions  of  the  t^'rants  to  the  T.  K.  Loyalists  ditTered  frotn  those  to  the  Associates, 
and  that  the  Order  in  Council  absolutely  settles  the  matter. 

Whilst  it  is  perfectly  clear  that  the  first  settlers  in  the  Townships,  as  a  whole, 
were  not  the  old  Loyalists,  but  the  Associates,  as  before  stated,  yet  it  would  seem 
that  a  few  stubborn  men  pitched  their  tents  in  the  Seij.(niories  wuen  and  wlure 
there  were  no  owners  on  the  s]X)t  to  warn  them  olT,  and  frotn  thence  imjiortuned 
the  Government  for  jjermissioii  to  settle  tlierein,  on  and  about  Missiscpioi  Hay. 
This  was  firmly,  and  at  times  ani^aily  refused,  the  (iovernment  offerin,!.;  them  lands 
elsewhere,  wh.ere  the  Crown  owned  the  lands  ;  and  on  refusal  they  were  ofluially 
warned  that  their  provision  allowances  woidd  be  cut  lAl — a  more  serious  matter 
about  the  liay  in  17.S4  than  in  1900.  iMually,  the  (iovernor  General  ordered  their 
houses  to  be  destroyed,  and  the  settlers  sent  for  location  to  St,  Johns,  which,  even 
then,  was  called  "  a  curseil  ])lace." 

Dr.  I?rymner,  the  Dominion  Archivist,  has  kindly  furnished  me  with  extracts 
from  the  ofticial  orders,  on  fyle  in  his  Dejiartment,  relatinjf  to  the  discontinuance 
of  His  Majesty's  bounty  of  provisions  for  the  winter,  at  Missis(|Uoi  Bay,  as  well  as 
a  memorial  from  the  settlers  there,  to  the  Government  in  reference  to  the  same 
subject,  whereby  it  is  shown  that  effect  was  given  Ui  the  apj)arently  harsh  orders. 
The  memorial  is  (juoted  in  full,  among  other  things,  because  it  shows  the  action 
of  the  I'^xecutive,  as  well  as  the  prior  condition,  and  the  then  pressing  needs  of  the 
settlers,  and,  in  addition,  has  a  f|uaint  flavor,  which  gives  it  a  peculiar  interest. 
The  lavish  use  of  capital  letters  and  ])eculiarities  of  spelling  and  punctuation 
therein  cannot  be  justly  attribute*!  to  'lisrespect  or  disloyalty.  The  Ivnglish  lacks 
the  finish  and  perfection  which  are  considered  indispensable  by  the  best  writers  of 
our  day,  but  then  there  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  object.  The  charges  of  fraud  and 
underhand  dealing  are  ambiguous  only  as  to  identity  of  the  parties  whose  names 
are  .su])pressed.  In  our  day,  Ragged  l'hiloso])her  would  solve  the  dithcidty  by 
in.serting  the  familiar  names  of  "Willie,"  or  "Dickey,"  or  "Joey,"  or  other 
symbolic  terms,  by  which  he  playfully  represents  certain  phases  of  human  deprav- 
ity in  the  criminal  exercise  of  political  functions. 

The  ^Memorial  is  as  follows  : 
'  To  //is  /ixcellencc  Henry  / laumicltou,   /Isqy..   Hox'ernor  ///  ati  over  the  /'ror- 
"         iuee  of  Ouehee  and  7)'rri(orys  //lereunto  he/oiii^iiti;,  c--(.,  e~'r. ,  <!-(-. 
"  T/ie  /'eti/ioii  0/  l/ie  Siihserihers  /tinnh/y  s/ieartli 

"  That  tile  fift  day  of  Octr.  in  the  N'ear  u'.  our  Lord,  17S;,  we,  with  many 
"  otheres  Petitioned  His  Kxcellency  I'ridrick  I  laldemaml,  Ks(|r.,  the  then  Gover- 
"  nor,  and  Commander  in  Chief,  for  a  tract  of  land  Hast  of  Missis(|uie  Hay,  for  i'.ach 
"  (jf  us  there  to  recive  his  Portion  of  land,  a]l(<wed  by  Government  for  services  but 
"  not  Reciveing  an  Answer  to  our  Petition  untill  late  in  the  Winter  I'allowing,  and 
"we  being  Desireous,  to  Gil  in  .some  way  of  Liveing  again,  and  to  retrive  a  little 
"of  our  Losses  (by  Cultivation  1  which  we  sntTered  During  the  unhajjpy  troubles 
"in  North  America  which  losses  were  \ery  considerable  with  some  of  us,  and  \'erv 
"  Sorelv  Feel'd  bv   I-'verv  (  )ne  of  us  and  Your  huud)le   Petitioners,  would  not  be 


i6 


Till",  CANADIAN   I,(  )VA  LISTS. 


"  uii(kr  the  neccssety  of  Irouhk-iutj  you,  li;ul  they  at  j)resent  what  they  have  lost, 

"  aii<l  were  n])lei(e(l  to  leave  in  tlie  h.iiuls  of  the  I",iieiii\ ,  since  they  from  the  he,L,Mii- 

"  \u^  of  the  late  troultles  in  America,  adheared  to  I'ritish  ( i<nernment,  and  joined 

''the   I'.ritish  I'orces  in  the  War   1777,  but  since,  as   above   mentioned,   were  de- 

"  sirous  to  <;it  into  some  way  of  livein,i(,  we  bouj^^ht  a  tract  of  land  of  Mr.  Kobert- 

"  sun  of   vSt.   Johns,  and  some  of  us  settled  thereon  Ijefore   Ivver   his    Kxcellence 

"  iM'idrick   Ilaldemand,   Ivscjr,,  the  late  Commander  in  Chief  had  (iiveii  Crders  or 

"  I'ointed  out  Places  for  the  setlin.t,^  of  Loyalists,  but  so  it  was,  that  since  soni'j  of 

"us  had  setled  at  the  Ikiy  of  Missiscjuie,  and  ( )theres  Could  not  move,  when  the 

"  orders  came  out  for  to  setle  at  the  ajjointed  Places,  by  Heasson  of  Sickness,  and 

"()tlKre  hindrence  in  their  l'"amilies,  and  all  of  us  ho])eint,r  that  we  should  \'et  (Vid 

"  the  land  in  the  I'arts  we  Petitioned  for,  l)ut  .so  it  was,  since  we  dit  not  Go,  to  the 

'  Place  or  Places  ])ointed  at,  we  were  struck  off  the  Provisions  list,  j)art  of  us  since 

"the  24th  of  May  last,  the  Otheres  at  Different  times  After,  but  all  of  us  since  the 

"  24th  Octr.  last.     Wherefore  we  most  Humbly  be;,'  your  Kxcellence  in  your  Clem- 

"  en("y,  and  love  to  N'our  P'eflow  Men,  who  have  sorely  sr.lTered  During  the  late 

"Rebellion  both  in  body  and   I'.state.  and  Order  that  the  Provision    and    Othere 

"  Donations  Allowed  to  Loyalists,  by  Government,  Should  be  (liven  to  us  from  the 

"time  that  IC\  ery  one  of  us,  and  I'amilics  were  .struck  ofT  the  Provision  list.     .\nd 

"we  humbly  bej^  \'our  Ivxcellence  will  Please  t(j  Conde.send,  to  favour  us  with  an 

"  .\nswvr,   Withere  we  Shall  ha\e   Provision,  Or  no,    for  it  is  our  Opinion  that  all 

"loyalists,  vSettlin.ii;  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  are  Alowed   Provision  wethere  (jn 

"  kin.<.,'s  land  or,   not.    if  within  the  Province  line.    Moreover,   we  humbly  be^  to 

"inform   N'our   P.xcellence,   that   we  little  Kx])ected,    Nithere  do  we  think,  that  it 

"  is  (".ovenimcnts  intention     or  any  Order,  from  our  ^b)st  Gracious  Kin^,  atul  his 

"  Perliment,   that  all  such  of  his  true  and  faithful!   Subjects  as  Your  Petitioners. 

"  vShould  I)e  struc  off  of  all  beniiefits  from  Government,   as  Donation  of  Provs.  and 

"  Otlu  re  Tilings,  allowed  by  Govert.      Hxcept  such  and  only  such,   who  setle  in 

"  them  Perticuhir  Places,  which  Perhapes  through  the  Indication  of  Selfe  intersted 

"  Gentlemen,  has  been  Put  into  the  head  of  the  late  Conmiander  in  Chief,  to  Point 

"out  for  Setlin,!.^  of  the  Loyalists  in  the  province  of  Ouebec,   Furthere  more,  we 

"doubt.  Yea  we  are  most  sure,  that  there  is  some  underhanded  rJealin,sr  with  the 

"  kint^s  Provs,   by  them  who  have  the  posts  for  (riveing  Orders  for  the  loyali.sts 

"  Provs.  as  for  instance  at  St.  Johns.   lS:c,,    ]•'(  r  we  sent  a  Petition  to  Your  Excel- 

"  lence   Deer,  last,   and  Never  hear'd  thereof,  Wherefore  we  l)eir  Your  I'.xcellence 

"will  Please  to  Coiulesend  to  Derect  Your  Answer  to  Chn.  \Vehr  Lieut  Late  Royl. 

"  \'orkers  at  Missiscjuie  Bay.  and  to  the  care  of  3Ir.  .\lexr.  Taylor  at  St.  Johns,  and 
"if  Your  Lxcellence  will  most  Graciously  Please  to  Grant  us  our  Petition.  Your 
"  Petitit)ners  as  in  Duty  Ijound  vShall  F.ver  Pray. 

(sd)  Christian  W'l'.iiK,  (sd)  Jo.s.xmixi)  DRt)\v, 
"                 CoNR.vni;  I'iiisT,  LonwiK  Strit,  Junr, 

'*  Christian  .'M.wi'.R.  J.vcon  Tiiom.xs, 

"  JOHN  RriTi:R.  i'Hir.ii'  Riithr. 


Adam  I )i:ai., 
John  Com:, 
LiDwu;  Stki;it, 
Gi:oRf'.i';  Fkij.i:r. 
]Missisc]uie  ISay,  F'eb.  7th,  17S5. 


John  \'an  \'orst, 

JaMIIS  Hl-NHI'RSiiN, 

Ai,i:xr.  Tavi.or, 


Till-:  CANADIAN   LOYALISTS.  17 

The  naiiifs  of  •iK)st  of  the  sillers  of  this  i)athetioally  iiitli,L;uaiit  iiii'iiiorial  hear 
the  earmark  of  Teutonic  origin,  althouj^'h  some  of  the  expressions  have  a  ilistitic- 
tively  Hil)eriiian  flavor.  Dr.  JJrymiier  says,  that  anions  all  the  documents  relatin)^ 
to  Missi.s(|uoi  Hay,  that  memorial  is  the(»nly  one  which  contaitisa  list  of  namesand 
adds  :  "  Nearly  all  of  whom,  I  am  aware,  fought  diirinj^f  the  war  as  loyalists." 
The  pressinj^  ini])ortance  of  the  matters  referred  to  in  the  memorial  is  sufVicieiil  to 
warrant  the  presum])tion,  that  all  the  ])eo])le  there  at  that  time,  atlixid  their  sii,nia- 
tures.  The  untenable  possession  of  these  Loyalists,  as  shown  by  their  memorial, 
does  not  justify  a  claim  at  this  time  of  a  t'eneral  sfille!;!<.!'.t ,  !'.or  W!r5:i;;l  the  |He- 
tension  that  their  temj)or;iry  sojourn  in  a  seij.,'niory,  l)y  itself,  estahlislus  an  earlv 
settlements  as  \'.  I",.  J.oyali.^ts  in  the  Townshijjs  of  this  District. 

Of  the  si.ijners  of  that  memorial  a  few  Ciin  he  found  amon,if  the  Assoi"'-.'.cs,  for 
instance,  Adam  Deal,  I.udwij.,'  Streit  and  I'hili])  Kuiter  in  Dunhr.m  in  1796;  the 
same  Adam  Deal  and  also  .Mexandtr  Taylor  and  Christian  Wehr  in  Sutton  in  1797, 
and  in  the  sami"  year,  Thili])  Ruiter  in  Totton.  'i'here  were  other  Ruitirs  of  the 
same  stock  and  class  amonf.j  the  Associates  in  Dunham,  I'otton  and  Stanhrid^^n-,  as 
well  as  six  children  of  John  Ruiter  in  Roxlon.  The  Ruitirs  seem  to  have  ])ros- 
pered  despite  the  drawback  of  havin,ij  owned  lands  in  Roxton. 


The  early  settlements  in  .Missiscpioi  and  Hrome  Counties  ran  alonj.;  in-arl\  the 
same  lines,  at  about  the  same  dates,  and  an;c::t^  nuich  the  same  class  of  settlers, 
but  it  was  different  in  the  County  of  Shetford. 

The  Townshij)  of  I'arnham,  east  and  west  ])arts,  and  the  Townshi])  (jf  liroue 
were  within  the  limits  of  vShefford  County  until  disconnected  in  the  '50's  on  the 
formation  of  I'ronie  Count)-  at  the  ex])ense  of  Stanstead,  ShefTord  .and  }.Iissis(iuoi 
Counties.  After  prior  survey,  the  Townshii)s  of  the  County  of  Shetford  were 
created  as  follows  :  Stukely  in  iS;x);  ShefTord  in  iSoi,  Kly  in  iSc)2,  and  draubv, 
Milton  and  Roxton  in  1S03.  The  leader  of  the  Associstes  in  Stukely  was  Samuel 
Willard,  an  Intluential  man  in  his  day,  who  has  still  man\-  descendants  in  the 
Townships  and  in  the  Company  of  Associates  are  the  well  known  names  of  Knowl- 
ton,  Lawrence,  Sargent  and  I'a.i^e,  also  well  re])resenteil  by  local  de>ceiidants. 
The  lonjr  period  which  had  elapsed  between  the  clo.ie  of  the  war  aiui  their  arrival 
indicates  that  they  did  not  deliberate  in  haste,  nor  should  the  coincidence  of  a 
land  ,i;rant  be  construed  as  a  motive  for  (|uickened  loyalty.  The  leader  iA  tlie 
Associates  of  the  Township  of  '-"ly  was  Amos  Lay,  jr.,  a  land  sur\eyor,  who  was 
i^ranted  one-fourth  of  the  Township,  much  of  which  passed  to  his  sou,  the  late  Dr. 
AmosW.  La\,  who  resided  there  for  many  years  i)rior  to  his  death.  Cov.  I'rescott. 
in  a  letter  to  the  home  authorities  in  179'^,  <letailinjf  at  some  length  the  fraudrdent 
schemes  to  obtain  Crown  Lands,  ai)pears  to  ai)prove  of  a  moveuu'ut,  of  which  he 
,i(ives  the  copy  of  an  advertisement  ])ublished  in  \'ermont  an<l  other  States,  in\  ilin;.^ 
apjilications  for  lands  in  the  Townshi|)s.  This  advertisement  was  ^iven  b\-  .\n.os 
W.  La\-,  jr.,  co-operatinj.;  with  Capt.  Ruiter  of  Missiscjuoi,  to  obtain  members  for 
Companies  of  .Associates.  Shortlx  jirior  to  the  first  settlement  in  b'.Iy,  .1  land  sur- 
ve\or  l'\-  the  name  of  Trenholme  met  a  tragic  death  near  what  is  is  now  known  as 
Dalliiij;,  in  the  north  ])art  of  the  Townshiji,  wlure  he  was  surve\inti-  witli  a  party. 
A  fire  they  had  kindled  in  the  forest  burnt  <{i  the  roots  of  a  tree,  which,  during 


IS 


Till-:  CANAIMAX   I,(»\A  LISTS. 


llu-  nij^lil  ftll  iipiiii  Mild  instantly  killi'(l  Mr.  TrtMiholnie.  !Ii-  was  llu-  ^r.mdt'ather 
of  Dr.  N.  W.  Tiviiholnif,  of  .Montreal,  and  of  Kev.  Mrs.  I'lsscndtii,  of  Ilaiuilton, 
whose  zealons  work  in  creating  i;ni])ire  l)ay  has  ^'aine<l  well  deserved  reco>{niti«)n. 

There  are  some  indications  jiointin^  to  a  ineniber  of  the  Kuiter  family  as  the 
leader  of  the  Associates  of  tlie  'J'ownshij)  of  Roxton.  There  has  been  no  rush  to 
oht.iin  rri'dit  for  the  jiositioii.  No  one  h.is  clamored  for  the  honor,  or  even  f(jr 
that  of  first  settler,  thoiij.jh  it  has  usually  been  the  home  of  slatesmen.  Half  a 
cintury  aj.;o  or  th.c  reahouts,  all  the  jioor  land  was  owned  liy  the  British  .\merican 
Land  Conii)any,  from  which  it  niij^hl  he  inferred  that  it  was  ])ractically  sole  pm- 
])rietor.     The  first  settlements  were  made  about  1S34. 

Ciranby  and  Milton  were  lars^ely  {.granted  to  discharmd  soldiers  and  militia- 
men, aliout  one  hundred  of  the  latter  local  in  j.(  in  Craiiby,  which  ni.iy  account  for 
its  martial  spirit  ever  since.  The  descendants  of  the  orij^inal  ^iiaiitees  of  .Milton, 
which  was  not  much,  if  any,  settled  until  about  1S3U.  nave  disappeared  from  its 
limits. 

More  local  history  ])ervades  the  early  settlement  of  Shefford  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  century,  at  least  more  available  local  history,  than  of  the  other  Town- 
shi])s  of  the  County. 

The  leader  of  the  .Vssociates  of  SheiTord  Townshi])  was  Cu])i.  John  Sa\a^e 
from  the-  Iludson  or  Mohawk  \'allc\  of  New  \'ork,  with  ^\llonl.  as  .\ssociates,  were 
two  other  b)lin  Sava<.jes  and  a  I'eler  Sava,i,a',  relatives,  and  the  well  known  names 
of  Wood,  Hayes,  Ket/back,  Lawrence,  Lewis,  I!ell,  MotTatt,  and  Mcl'arlamL 
b)lin  Sava.ue.  leader,  made  his  first  \isit  to  Sheff(ird  in  1792,  ha\in,ir  come  to 
Canada  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  in  17.S3.  Capt.  Savajj;e  and  his  Ass(tciates 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  the  wiles  of  land  j.rrabbers  and  ofticials  who,  by  im])os- 
\n\f  severi'  conditions,  and  coiis])irin,u;  with  survcxors,  usually  forced  money  or  land 
from  Associates  or  so  discoura:.;ed  them  thai  they  threw  ii])  their  a])])lications. 
Simon  Z.  Watson,  land  surveyor,  employed  to  make  the  ])rimili\e  survey,  dis- 
covered the  attempts  to  rob  Ca])t.  .Savaj^e  and  his  .\ssociates  without  their  knowl- 
edj^e,  and  Lhereu])on  threw  up  his  job,  and  made  a  deposition  (.xjjosinjr  the  tricks, 
which  he  forwarded  \.o  the  (  iovernor-(  lem-ral,  who,  in  communicating;  it  to  the 
Eni^lish  Colonial  authorities  said  :  "■  The  imbecility  sIkiwii  in  the  ])ractical  workini^ 
"  of  the  ])lans  of  the  monojjolists  does  not  lessen  the  existence  of  the  j)lans  them- 
"  selves."  I  lad  tliese  ])lotlers  succeeded  the  settlement  of  Shefford  would  ]iroba- 
bly  havi'  bci-ii  as  long  deferred  as  Hly  and  Roxton.  Whilst  the  official  records 
s])eak  of  Ca])t.  Savage  and  S(|uire  .Savage,  it  is  prol)able  that  both  titles  belonged 
to  the  same  man,  one  for  warlike,  and  the  other  for  civil  distinction.  In  his 
]>etitioii  to  the  (ioverniiieiit  in  171^2  for  compensation  for  losses,  hv  alleged  his  ser- 
vices as  an  olhcer  in  a  New  \'ork  Colonial  corjxs  during  the  Revolution.  His 
(luality  was  acce])ted  by  the  ( Vovernment.  Ijut  the  grant  to  him  later  was  as  an 
.\ssociate.  In  1  7S3  a  rejiort  from  a  fronlier  ])ost  says  :  "  Wright  has  returned  with 
"  two  brothers  .Savage,  who  have  come  to  look  for  an  asylum  for  a  great  number 
"  of  U)yalists,  who  are  determined  to  leave  a  country  wholly  under  the  direction  of 
"  the  op])re.ssors."  Cajit.  Savage  went  on  from  that  border  jjost  to  St.  Johns.  An 
ofllcial  report  from  that  ])ost  on  the  frmtier  said,  that  the  ])eo])le  on  the  American 
side   ware  \ery   insulting   in   their  remarks,  ])ut   in  a  i)road  sjjirit  of  magnaminity, 


ih 
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Tin,  CANAhl AN    I.(  »\' AI.ISTS. 


'9 


the  <itlic'ial>  sjiiil  lluy  ir^^iiK'ad  ii  ;■•<  iiu  nly  "  tlif  mail  .'•allits  of  \  iilj^ar  fcols." 
whiili  iiiiiy  iKt  have  hn-n  loo  n.\*.rf.  'I'lu  m  iiu'  (  llirial  rfporl  as  to  S.iva^'e  statts 
that  MisMs.  Ci'Jii])l)tll  and  Ihiiitiiij^tiii,  two  luimd  lo\ali>ls  l.ail  arrixiil,  t'olli  wtd 
by  a  Mr.  Wirt,  \\l:o  <kiiiain'nl  ll.cir  riliini  to  I'osion.  Mr.  Hr,iitiiij,;toii  utiiaiiu-d 
ill  Canada,  hut  a  littlf  hittr  Cainpliill  \\i  iit  hack  with  S  ivaj^^i-  and  Ira  .\1U-ii  to  \\r- 
monl,  to  aid  in  seltlin.n  loyalists  thin-.  ])ursuant  to  a  sidu-nu-  of  AlKn's,  It  soon 
hfca'iic  dear  that  this  was  a  dod^c  of  AlKn's  to  inciti-  Con.tjriss  to  admit  W-rnioiit 
into  thi-  I  nion.  ami  lherfUi>on  llii-y  ahaiiilout  d  tht-  crafty  .\lUn,  Thr  Mr.  Hunt- 
inijtoii  rc'fcrrcMl  to  was  ]irohahly  ;i  relative,  or  ancestor,  of  iIk-  late  lion.  Lucius  vSeth 
lluntinj.'ton,  who  reprcsfiittMl  ;'litft'ord  for  so  many  yt-ars  in  rarlianuiit.  It  was 
wi'll  known  that  he  was  of  T.  I-",.  I  oyalist  stocl;,  thonjdi  it  liad  not  hecome  a  hal)it 
in  his  day  to  hoast  oi  it  osteiit.tt'i)Usly. 

The  early  histo;  y  of  SliilTord  Townsliij)  is  the  history  of  the  Sa\a;,'e  familv. 
It  was  the  dominant  family  in  its  e.irly  settU'menl.  and  e\en  u]>  to  the  middle  of 
the  century,  hut  (jidy  a  few  are  now  left  there.  Tluy  wert'  of  Hutch  descent, 
Ihougli  the  name  creates  a  difticuU\ .  it  may  have  heeii  .\niericani/.e<l  and  toned 
down  from  a  Dutch  name,  as  have  the  Churches  and  I'ickels  of  I)unham,  who  in 
the  Dutch  dialeit  were  resj)ecti\ely  Schnrz  and  I'uyckel,  or  sonu-thin.i.;  like.  It  h.is 
als(.  been  said  that  in  an  early  day  an  Irisliman  named  Savage  married  a  Dutch 
.nirl  in  the  Dutch  settlements  of  New  N'ork,  and  hence  the  name,  'i'liis  does  m^^ 
seem  unreasonable  when  we  consider  tlu'  not  unremarkable  ]»ro])i'nsity  of  Irisiniien 
to  coiinnil  matrimony,  and  the  facility  with  which  the  Dutch  absorb  the  assimi- 
lated races.  I'.ut  all  this  may  be  left  to  a  future  historian  of  Shel'ford  or  of  the  Sav- 
age family. 


In  the  uf'e  c,i  the  leim.  "  Marly  Seltkrs."  in  this  pa])er.  its  meanin.y  is]<ro]ierly 
restricted  to  tliost.'  who  receixed  free  grants  of  land  from  the  Crown,  llowevi-r 
commendable  may  lia\e  bi  en  tb.e  enter]  iHse  and  virtues  of  those  who  "  bouj..;lit  in,"  so 
tos])eak,  thex'  ha\e  no  s])ei'ial  claim  for  consideration  on  the  score  of  loyah\  bevd'.d 
earlier,  or  even  later  settlers.  Nor  can  it  reas(jnably  lie  assumed  tliat.  because  a 
few  Lo\alists  strayed  from  tlie  ]»lace  where  the  C.overnment  had  located  them,  and 
subse(juentl\-  ac(|uired  lands  in  tlie  'i'ownshi]is  as  Associates,  or  by  ])urc]iasi-.  a 
claim  of  j^eneral  settlement  by  I'.  I',.  Loyalists  in  any  loi-ality  can  be  justified  or 
su])]M)rte(L  It  is  not,  however,  disireditable  t<j  those  old  I'.  1',.  Loyalists  that  so 
man\'  in  our  dav  are  eager  to  idaim  desi'enl  from  tliiin.  It  is  an  «.  xcellent  testi- 
monial of  their  worth.  It  a])]iears  to  be  akin  to  tlie  claim  of  Puritan  descent  in 
New  I'',nj.(land.  (<r  Xormau  descent  in  ( )M  I',n;.;land.  and  exposed  to  the  same  scofTs 
and  sus])icions  on  the  part  of  tho.se  not  oi  the  Idood. 

but  when  one  casts  a  retros])ective  5.;lance  over  tin- history  of  the  settlement 
and  develo],nu  nt  of  this  District,  anil  of  its  first  settlers  and  their  .successors,  one 
readily  sees  that  a  fair  ami  moderate  view  is  esstutial,  and  that  to  discriminate  is 
impolitic  and  unjust.  The  old  .Xsscjciates  were  the  true  jiioneers,  who  bej^an  the 
forest  clearinjf  e](jch  witlunit  rel_\  iiij^  ujion  (rOVLrnmenl  bount\  for  provisions  (jr 
aid.  .\nd  after  tluni,  in  the  2o's.  or  about  that  time  there  came  from  New  L'.ii.Ldand  its 
surplus  of  skilleil   mechanics  and    tradesmen,    and    even  jjrofessional   men.    wl.o. 


2t) 


Till'.  CANADIAN    I,()\A  LISTS. 


with  their  triiiiu  <!  skill  ami  lai^rr  tiu-aiis,  plaiHMl  thiir  httk'  sh«)])S  ami  ttiills  an<l 
hir.inlJrii  N  ami  taiim  rifs  oii  t-vi-rs  roiuiniciit  watir  pnvvrr  am!  tl\iTi'hy  aidiil  in  i'\. 
irii(liii),'  Ihr  l;(i()i1  work  hi-^aii  hy  thoM'  ohl  Assoi-iatis.  Is  it  imt  larLii'ly  from  llu- 
(U'sc'iinlaiits  of  that  lati-r  class  that  have  coiiu'  tlu-  men  whosi-  hiisim-ss  fiij)aiMty 
aiifl  tiitirprisi-  have  done  so  mmh  to  Itiiihl  n]»  thtsf  Masti-rn  Townships.  Norwil] 
il  hi-  for^^ottcn  that  throiii^h  all  tlu-  years,  pcopk'  of  othiT  races,  and  ]ico])h'  fidni 
the  ohi  worM  have  lilterifl  into  lluse  Townships,  assiniilateil  with  tlu-  older  stocks, 
•iml  aided  in  ad\ancin.u  its  pmsjierily.  Ili-nct',  the  wisdom  or  exjiediency  of  nn- 
dnly  e\altini,r  (Hie  (-lass  more  than  another  is  (piestioiiahle,  thon^h,  as  an  abstract 
historical  (|m'siion  there  ma\  he.  and  ari-,  j^ood  reasons  for  jndicions  investij^ation. 
I'.ut,  ho\\e\er,  lhisnia\  he,  we  cannot  honesiI\  fcirL^el  that  it  is  from  the  fct  hli-,  re- 
mote .m<l  siattiTcd  ^ettletnents  wldi-h  those  hanh  pioneers  created  ahout  a  ct'iiliiry 
I'^o,    I'.i.it    have   come   material  ])ros])erit\  .  and    the  comforts  of  civilization,  whicli 


we,  ( 


)f  thi 


s  lieneratton.  so 


fnll 


\   ])ossess  and  eiiji 


We  should  treasnre  with  honest 


a])preciation  tin-  mi'morii-s  of  those  rohnst  mi-n  of  the  olden  time,  who  diij  so  much 
nuiler  adverse  conditions  .and  tr\  iny;  circumstances  to  huild  up  oin  country  s>  i  tli.il 
life  for  us  is  iiiou'  tolerahle,  ami  the  future  full  of  emdin;iu;eiiient.  It  is  to  he  re- 
j.;retted  that  the  i>id\  ])hase  of  thi-  personal  life  of  those  early  pioneers  can  onl\-  he 
j.;athen.d  from  di\  oflii'ial  records,  di'.dini.;  with  the  wants  .and  conditions  of 
materi.d  esistt'iice.  No  historian  recorded  their  .ids.  nor  jxiet  portrayed  tlieir 
.sentiments  in  verse.